adj., plain·er, plain·est.
- Free from obstructions; open; clear: in plain view.
- Obvious to the mind; evident: make one's intention plain. See synonyms at apparent.
- Not elaborate or complicated; simple: plain food.
- Straightforward; frank or candid: plain talk.
- Not mixed with other substances; pure: plain water.
- Common in rank or station; average; ordinary: a plain man.
- Not pretentious; unaffected.
- Marked by little or no ornamentation or decoration.
- Not dyed, twilled, or patterned: a plain fabric.
- Lacking beauty or distinction: a plain face.
- Sheer; utter; unqualified: plain stupidity.
- Archaic. Having no visible elevation or depression; flat; level.
- An extensive, level, usually treeless area of land.
- A broad level expanse, as a part of the sea floor or a lunar mare.
- Something free of ornamentation or extraneous matter.
Clearly; simply: plain stubborn.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin plānus.]
plainly plain'ly adv.plainness plain'ness n.
SYNONYMS plain, modest, simple, unostentatious, unpretentious. These adjectives mean not ornate, ostentatious, or showy: a plain hairstyle; a modest cottage; a simple dark suit; an unostentatious office; an unpretentious country church.
ANTONYM ornate
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
